Epigraphein. History, Editing, Research, Writing

12/10/2026

Thanks so much to Brisbane Living Heritage for sharing some of my research so accessibly in this wonderful blog post about women businessowners in Brisbane. You can learn about two of my case studies – Sophia Morwitch and Gertrude Rome – both of whom worked in Brisbane's Grand Arcade in the mid-nineteenth century. There are also two other fascinating businesswomen who others have researched to explore. For more on my research on business women in Brisbane's Arcades, see my project report on the Harry Gentle Research Centre website: https://harrygentle.griffith.edu.au/projects/an-occupation-for-ladies/ -1-2

Brisbane's commercial story is usually told through its merchants, aldermen and property barons. But look closely at the shopfronts, arcades and bakehouses of the colonial town and women appear again and again: running butcheries, baking bread for thousands, leasing out shops and opening fashionable

11/08/2026

My two latest history reads (listens). There are probably loads of great reviews of these out there but I just wanted to give a special shoutout for the audio versions of the latest history book offerings from Dr Maddy Pelling and Dr Anthony Delaney. Listening to an audiobook always reveals how well a book is written and these two are exceptional. Fascinating insights with a look into the micro and the macro of their protagonists’ lives and the historical events their stories are interwoven with. Plus the dulcet tones of the two authors reading their own books and sharing the love of their subject.

More historians, please do audiobooks!

audiobooks🎧

03/08/2026

My latest research online at Griffith University on businesswomen in Brisbane Arcades 1870s-1920s

21/05/2026

Meet The Landlady, The Milliner and The Clairvoyant, three women business owners in Brisbane's Grand Arcade. So pleased that this went live yesterday afternoon! My latest article: 'An Occupation for A Lady' in the Asia Pacific Economic History Review. This is a biographical look at their lives before and after their time in this building to explore their motivations for and agency in becoming businesswomen. Please let me know if you don't have an institutional access.

Recently, Australian historians have increasingly uncovered the lives and accomplishments of nineteenth and early twentieth-century businesswomen, who ran their establishments in a time when legal st...

28/12/2025

Finalising my journal article (fixing footnotes mainly!) for the publisher at my all-time fave office. You can’t keep a historian relaxing too long.

18/12/2025

Terrible at self promotion at the moment but if you want a good Christmas gift is a good choice! Get it from the bookshop or head to . This is the shelf at the Hawthorn branch, restocked. Perplexingly in the travel photography section and the author and ex bookseller in me was tempted to pop it face out but, hey … whatever works! If you want me to sign it I can unfortunately only do in the new year … but very chuffed to do so

05/12/2025

Caught up with two of my besties today Gretel Evans and Sophie Loy-Wilson. Both fabulous historians whose work shows how history research can have ongoing impact into the present and future. Okay, so I just listened to them on podcasts but felt like I was in the room with them

Podcast Episode · Archive Fever · 04/12/2025 · 53m

23/10/2025

I've wanted to delve into the connections of Australian retail to enslaved labour but have not yet done this work. Thanks to Joel Barnes for starting me thinking about it again, with the family that part-owned the Strand Arcade. I suspect I won't have to search far to find further connections with the Australian arcade owners and their tenants' commodities.

The legacy of the Dixson family reveals a complicated history of interconnected global capital and racialised exploitation.

08/10/2025

More of ’what I did on my busman’s holiday’ … Copenhagen edition. Walked a lot, visited my friends Le friend HCA, old buildings and palaces, Viking treasures at the national museum. And of course the ubiquitous arcade. This time Jorcks Passage. A great lively arcade with some modern interpretation. ☀️️